The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1887-04-21
WASHINGTON.
Opinions of the Interstate Com
merce Commission on I'M
portant Subjects.
The Question of Free or Reduced
Rates to Railway
Employees.

WASHINGTON April 1S.-The following en-
bodies the most important action yet TAKEN by
the interstate commerce commission The i'm
mediate matters selected to which to append the
opinions of the commission, only affect the in
terests of limited classes, but the opinions them
selves cover, in important respects, an interpre-
tation of the interstate commerce Law and de-
termination respecting the extent of the powers
with which the commission deems itself charged,
and as is proved by the immense correspondence
of the commission are of interest to almost
every branch of trade or commerce in the
land
The following is the text of the ruling of the
interstate commission:
WAsH1NGToN. d, G., April 16.--In tho matter
of the petition of the Order of Railway Con
ductors in the matter of the etiton of the Traders
and Travellers ess. to the an for
answer TO the following questions rropounded in
behalf of the Order of Railway Conductors.
First-Are railway companies prohibited from
issuing free transportation to the immediate fam
lilies of employees on their own railways!
Second-Are railway companies prohibited from
issuing free or reduced transportation to officers OF
an association composed exclusively of railway
employees while those officers are temporarily out
of railway service, and exclusively employed by
those associations!
, Third-May railroad companies issue pass to
employees of other railways on application of the
employe? Or must such application come from
the office of the company by which he is employed!
Fourth-May railway companies issue free or re-
duced transportation to chose who make the rail
way service their business, or trade, while tempo
rariiy out of employment and in search OF situa'
ton!
Fifth-May railway companies provide free trans
portaton for delegates to the annual convention of
an association composed exclusively of railway
empioyes, upon certificates from officers of the
association, that they are such representatives.
Sixh--If free transportation may be
furnished to the representatives de-
scribed in question five, must all such
representatives be actually in the employ of some
railway, or may it include those who may lie lem
porarily out of employment, and those temporarily
engaged in other employment as officers OF such
ASSOCIATION?
Seyenth-lf free transportation is provided for
the delegates described in question five, may it in
clude members of the immediate families OF dele
gates?
Eighth-If free transportation or reduced rates,
are provided for representatives OF any one asso-
citation, must the same be extended to all others
which are composed exclusively OF railway en-
ployes on application?
Another application has been made to the COM
mission, on behalf of the Traders and Travellers
union, stating the system under which an addi-
tional allowance of free baggage has been hereto
fore carried by commercial travellers, subject to
written agreement for registry and indemnitica,
ton, which system the commission is requested
to examine carefully and advise us if there is any
reason why railroad company, desiring to do SO,
should not enter into such an arrangement to
grant, under stated terms, an increased allowance
of free baggage.
spectacle organizations, raising questions of i'm
mediate practical importance, are representatives
of large number of applications which have
been made to the commission for its construction
of the "act to regulate commerce" as
applied to the valiou points at which
hJse provisions touch the customs of the past
They have been selected simply as they indicate
the general character of all and enable the com
mittee to announce certain conclusions to which it
has arrived respecting its jurisdiction and It's
fayors. 1t is Obvious from the tenor OF such ap-
plcations as these which reach the United States
BY every mail, that the impression is generally
prevalent that this committee has power to con-
strue, interpret and apply the law by preliminary
Judgment we are contnUa naybor ePpese
carriers, said to be willing to adopt certain meth
ods of dealing with respect to interstate commerce,
can do 30 without subjecting themselves to the
penalties denounced by the statute for violating its
provisions. A careful reading of "an act to regu-
late commerce. under which this commission is
organized, will show to petitioners and
others who have made similar applications, that
no jurisdiction has been given us to answer ques-
tions like these under consideration, an expression
of our opinion upon these subjects, at this time,
being neither duty imposed nor power con con
ferred by statute, and would carry with it no judi
cial efficacy sancton-in fact, would be no more
useful to the public or the carriers than the
opinion of other men upon the same points.
Two sections of the law confer power upon the
commission to entertain and decide applications
and petitions, and section four empowers us, upon
application by common carrier, to authorize
such common carrier, in special cases, TO charge
less for longer than for shorter distances over
the same lines and also to prescribe the extent OF
relief from the operation of the former part OF
the same section which designated that common
carrier may from time to time enjoy. large
number of petitions have been flied under this
rection, the consideration of which, at this
time, is engaging the attention of the commission,
and nothing said in this opinion is to be treated as
in any manner bearing thereon.
1t Is obvious that the two applications like those
of the Railway Conductors and Traders and
and travellers union have no relation whatever to
the duties imposed upon US by section 4, and this
is the only section of the law which the commits
sion has power TO suspend or relax. Section l3 au-
thorizes complaint to the commission and con,
fers jurisdiction to entertain the same. 1t pro
vides that any person complaining of any
thing done or committed to be done by any